Dartford St George’s day 2018 poster click to enlarge.
Author: susan
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Commonwealth Reception hailed as a success
A special community event took place at the Civic Centre on Thursday March 15th to celebrate the Commonwealth and the positive contribution made in the borough by local residents who were born in Commonwealth countries. The event which was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council featured a number of guest speakers who highlighted the positive contribution the Commonwealth has made both locally and internationally. Speakers included the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Harold Craske, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhargwara Vasudaven, Cllr Gurjit Bains, Assistant Chief Constable Jo Shiner and Mr Prithipal Kang BEM from Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Entertainment was provided by Lucky Moyo and Bill Singh from Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective.
Those in attendance were also informed of plans for a big celebration taking place in Gravesham in October to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the SSE Windrush, which arrived in Tilbury in 1948 carrying passengers from the Caribbean who were invited by Britain to assist with post war reconstruction.
Two special community awards were also presented by Kent Equality Cohesion Council to Claudette Bramble and Devinder Singh Patara for their outstanding contribution in promoting positive community relations in Gravesham over many decades. Claudette was an active member of the Community Relations Council which was a forerunner to the Kent Equality Cohesion Council in the 1980’s and a founding member of the Gravesend West Indian Association. She is a former Chair of the North Kent Police Liaison Committee and Kent’s first female BAME magistrate. Claudette is still active in the community today with her work with the North Kent Caribbean Network. Devinder was one of the founding members of the Gravesend Kabbadi Club in the late 1960’s. Since then he has established a reputation nationally for his commitment and service to the sport of Kabbadi. He was also involved in football and the arts in Gravesham. In the 70’s and 80’s he was very active in promoting positive community relations including the publication of ‘Ekta – United We Stand Divided We Fall’ Magazine the first ethnic media available in Gravesham at the time. As well as being an active member of the Community Relations Council he also served in many different roles for the Guru Nanak Sports Club.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council, “I was very humbled by the positive response we had to our Commonwealth celebration. I have always highlighted Gravesham as a beacon that other parts of the country could learn from in terms of cohesion, integration and the celebrating of shared values. It was an honor to present awards to two unsung heroes of the local community who have done so much over many decades to help contribute to the positive community relations that we enjoy here today in Gravesham”.
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Preparations under way for Saint George’s Day 2018
Work has already started on the Saint George’s Day celebrations which will take place in the Gravesham and Dartford on Monday April 23rd. The annual Saint George’s Festivals which are organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus supported by Gravesham Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England. The celebrations will be some of the biggest taking place in England on Saint George’s Day.
The aim of the events is to celebrate the patron Saint of England and bring together the diverse communities in the boroughs to celebrate this important day.
The celebrations in Gravesham will take place between 10am and 11.30am and in Dartford from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Entertainment including Premier Brass Band, Brass Volcanoes, Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective, West Hill Morris, Saint George’s themed Stilt Walkers, a Saint George in full armor and a large scale dragon will feature.
The highlight of the celebrations will be the school parades which will feature 20 local schools and 1000 young people from across the boroughs and will be working with our artistic partners Same Sky to create pieces of visual art which they will display in the parades.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of KECC commented “We are really proud of how the Saint George’s Day celebrations have evolved in Gravesham and Dartford over the years. We believe it is important that events like Saint George’s Day are celebrated as it’s a perfect opportunity to bring communities together and celebrate our shared values.”
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Listen to Our Voices Women’s Event
Women’s Conference a Great Success
The annual Sadi Awaz Suno (Listen to our Voices) conference took place on Friday November 24th at the Woodville in Gravesend. The aim of the women only event was to explore important issues which are not often discussed openly including mental health, on-line grooming, child disability, well-being and domestic abuse.
The conference was organised by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Rethink Mental Illness Sahayak Services with the support of the Gravesham Borough Council led Altogether Safer Project.
The audience of around 300 were addressed by Assistant Chief Constable Jo Shiner from Kent Police who spoke about the work done around supporting victims of domestic abuse while Parmi Dheensa from Include Me Too spoke about child disability and how communities from the Indian Sub-continent deal with it. Local GP, Dr Manpinder Sahota spoke about well-being and mental health and how communities can help themselves and key note speakers Shahien Taj MBE from the Henna Foundation and Yasminara Khan from the BBC spoke about honour based crime and on-line grooming.
The key message coming out of the event was the fact that there was support available locally and that if anyone needed any help or support they should not hesitate to ask for it.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented after the event “It is important that events like this take place so that there can be an open and informed discussion around issues such as mental health, domestic abuse, on-line grooming and honour based crime which we know affect members of the local community. Sometimes people do not know who to turn to for help and support and that is why we hold this event.
According to Carol Gosal Rethink Mental Illness Service Manager for Kent “It is important that we all work together, communities, the authorities and local charities to raise awareness and provide support those who are experiencing issues relating to mental health and domestic abuse. Events like this are a step towards this and we look forward to working with our partners to make more positive strides over the coming months.”
The event was part funded by the Home Office VAWG (Violence and Against Women and Girls) Transformation Fund through the Altogether Safer Partnership which is led by Gravesham Borough Council and includes Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Rethink, Dartford Borough Council, Kent Police and Choices.
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Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights 2017
Some 1500 people participated in the Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights on Friday 17th November which incorporated the switching on the town’s Christmas Lights. The celebrations were organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council supported by Arts Council England.
10 local schools took part in a lantern parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham, Councillor Harold Craske along with representatives from various faith and community organisations as well as street entertainers Bloco Fogo Samba, Brass Volcanoes, the Drumming Santa’s and the Black Knights. All the schools worked with Same Sky in the build up to the parade to create special lanterns which were showcased during the event.
The parade started at Community Square and then travelled down Windmill Street, New Road, through the St Georges Shopping Centre before finishing at Gravesham Borough Market. The Christmas Lights were switched on in the Town Centre as the parade passed by.
The climax of the celebrations took place in the Gravesham Borough Market where the Cohesion Plus produced “Drumming Santa’s” performed bringing a unique fusion of Christmas tunes to Bhangra and African drumming to entertain and wow the crowds. This was followed by a series of performances which included starts of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented: “This was one of our biggest Christmas celebrations to date in Gravesham. I am very grateful to all the local schools and our partners who made our celebrations such a success. It is important that celebrations like Christmas are used as opportunities to bring communities together and celebrate all that binds us together regardless of faith.
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Gravesham Festival of Christmas Lights
The annual Festival of Christmas Lights will be taking place on Friday November 17th. Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership with Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council have been working on this project for the last few months.
The town centre event will be kicking off from 3.45pm. Crowds can expect street entertainers including a Jack Frost themed mime artist, Santa and his helpers on stilts, Bloco Fogo Samba, Brass Volcanoes and the Drumming Santa’s.
Around 500 school children from 10 local schools will then take part in a lantern parade led by the Mayor of Gravesham Councillor Harold Craske, which will start at Community Square at 4.30pm with the switching on of the Christmas tree lights. The schools have been working with Same Sky Arts on Christmas Lanterns which they will showcase during the parade.
The parade will then go via Windmill Street, New Road, through the St Georges Shopping Centre before finishing at Gravesham Borough Market. The Christmas Lights will be switched on in the Town Centre as the parade passes. The celebrations will climax with a series of performances including the stars of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty and the Drumming Santa’s.
Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “Christmas is an important time of year; it is a time for reflection and for sharing goodwill. Events like this bring the diverse communities of the borough together to celebrate our shared values and all that connects us. We hope that the residents will come out and support the spectacular parade which will go through the Town Centre.
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Celebrate Project Hailed a Success
300 local residents attended a special film premiere at the Woodville in Gravesend on Wednesday September 27th titled “The Journey”. Produced and written by Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Cohesion Plus working with Samuel Frain of GMM, the film featured local residents sharing their journeys. The subjects the film looked at included Indian Partition, the role Sports and Culture have played within communities with origins in India in showcasing Gravesham on a national and international stage and the history of the Sikh community in the borough, exploring the evolution of the Gurdwara and the social challenges that had to be overcome.
Work has been taking place across the borough for the past 4 months to put the film together, over 50 local residents feature and the film captured the period from 1947 to the present day, the highs and the lows, and how through lots of hard work Gravesham has evolved into a borough which is recognized nationally for its positive community relations. Further screenings of the film are being prepared for the coming months and there will be a limited DVD release.
Amongst the invited guests at the screening were the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Harold Craske, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Vasudaven, Cllr Mike Hill OBE from Kent County Council, Counsellor Shri D P Singh from the Indian High Commission, Cllr Gurjit Bains from Gravesham Borough Council and Tanmanjeet Dhesi MP.
Bhangra Superstar Jassi Sidhu also performed a short set fusing the sounds of UK and India, showcasing how bhangra music has evolved over the years. There was also an arts exhibition featuring local artists to underline the fact that 2017 is the UK-India Year of Culture.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “We put a lot of time and effort into making the film. I wanted to capture the stories of the local community telling their stories so that future generations can learn about their journey and how we have reached where we are today. The Indian diaspora is involved in every facet of life in Gravesham from business to politics, the NHS to local government, from sport to the arts and the voluntary sector. This has not just happened by accident and I wanted to share these stories and celebrate the positive achievements as part of the UK-India Year of Culture. I am very grateful to all the local residents who contributed and I hope it is something that Gravesham as a borough can be proud of in years to come.”
The project was supported by the Big Lottery Celebrate Fund whose aim is to celebrate your community through bringing people together.
Project partners for the event were Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus and Gravesham Borough Council.
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Maidstone Community Mela proves Popular at New Venue
Following months of hard work and sheer perseverance the Maidstone Community Mela took place in Whatman Park on Sunday July 16th. The Mela which has taken place in Maidstone since 2003 was organised by Cohesion Plus working in partnership with Kent Equality Cohesion Council, local partners and volunteers.
The event was officially opened by Helen Grant MP, who thanked all the volunteers who were involved in bringing the event together and she stressed the importance of events like the Mela in Maidstone.
According to Gurvinder Sandher the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council “I have been involved with the Maidstone Mela since 2003. I am overjoyed that working with local community partners and volunteers we have managed to deliver a great event in the heart of Maidstone. We had to overcome many challenges this year but I am really proud with what we were able to achieve. In light of the recent terror attacks, events like this are even more important as the terrorists are seeking to cause division and tensions within our communities. Events like the Community Mela are exactly what they do not want to see. I am as ever very grateful to the Mela funders and sponsors including Arts Council England and KCC Members Fund without whom, this event would not have happened.”
The ethos of the Community Mela is to use music, food and dance to bring communities together, to celebrate all that binds Maidstone together regardless of faith or background. This was reflected in the diverse stage programme which included the Emeralds Steel Band, Reel Eire Irish Dance, No Name Polish Pop, Kitka Bulgarian Folk Dance, Dance Asia who performed a Bollywood Fusion, Maidstone Nepalese Folk Dance and the ever popular Four by Four Bhangra. The Mela was headlined by Bhangra Superstar Jassi Sidhu and Jack Shepherd who sang the songs of Ed Sheeran.
Off stage there was also a range of activities for families to enjoy including face painting, creative arts workshops, stilt walkers, information stands from a range of voluntary and public sector partners including KCC Fostering, Unison, South East Water, Involve Kent and a range of food stalls with cuisine from around the world.
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Gravesham Eid Celebrations
To mark the end of Ramadan Kent Equality Cohesion Council working in partnership Gravesham Borough Council and the Gravesham & Dartford Muslim Association, is planning a community celebration to mark the Festival of Eid. Eid is the festival of breaking the feast, marking the end of Ramadan.
The celebration will focus on bringing the communities of Gravesham together and will include activities for families and the sharing of free food and soft drinks.
Gurvinder Sandher, the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council added: “I am proud to be involved in organising a number of events in the borough. All of these events at their core are about providing opportunities for communities to come together and celebrate all that unites us as citizens of the borough and the country. The Eid celebrations are no exception and in light of the recent terrorist atrocities I think it is more important than ever for all communities to stand together and be united and say that these attacks will not affect our way of life and the positive community relations that exist in Gravesham. We have a good fun day planned and there will be donations of free food and drink for all those who attend regardless of faith, so I would urge as many people as possible to come and join us on Community Square on July 1.”
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Gravesham Eid Celebrations Brings Communities Together
The open air Eid celebrations on the Community Square in Gravesham which took place on July 1 were hailed a great success with around 500 people attending. Eid is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
The purpose of the celebrations was to bring the diverse communities of the borough together, to share food and enjoy the entertainment on hand which included a fun fair, face and henna painting and a performance by the Four by Four Dhol Drummers. There were also welcome speeches by a number of key guests including the Imam Hafiz Ahmed Sher Barakati who spoke about the need for all communities regardless of faith to work together for the betterment of society, and the Deputy Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley who thanked everyone for attending and supporting this important community celebration.
The celebration which was organised in partnership by Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Gravesham Borough Council and the Gravesham & Dartford Muslim Association was the first one to take place outside.
Gurvinder Sandher, from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council said “I was overwhelmed by the support we had from everyone who attended. The last few months have been challenging ones for our Country with the spate of terror attacks, with people looking to divide our communities to cause disharmony and disruption. The Eid celebrations showcased how different faith communities and those of no faith can come together and promote peace, cohesion and mutual understanding. In addition to the celebrations we were able to share information on local projects and support available including the Reaching Communities initiative we are involved with. Great credit I believe needs to be given to our partners the respective Mosques, Kent Police and Gravesham Borough Council who shared our vision in wanting to make this event happen. I am keen to see the Eid celebrations develop in the future like the Saint George’s Day, Christmas and Vaisakhi celebrations that we organise in Gravesham.”
Ejaz Aslam the Chair of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association commented “Eid al-Fitr is a very important religious celebration for the Muslim community. I was so happy that we were able celebrate this year on the Community Square with the different communities and faiths that live here in Gravesend. We are very lucky to live in a town which has very strong community relations and the feedback I have received from members of the local Muslim community has been very positive. It is important that all communities stand together and we promote our shared values.”
